There was a dramatic climax to Norwich City’s return to action after the international break, as Nelson Oliveira salvaged a point against 10-man Hull in the sixth minute of chaotic injury-time.
The Tigers arrived with their tails up following a 6-1 thrashing of Birmingham ahead of the break and were on the verge of ending a run of 23 league matches without an away win, thanks to Nouha Dicko’s strike in the 29th minute.
However, with Hull’s David Meyler sent off for a second yellow early in the second half, substitute Oliveira flicked home from close range in the final seconds of the game to extend City’s unbeaten run to eight matches, amid a chaotic finish.
Daniel Farke made three changes to the Norwich team which started the 2-1 win at Reading ahead of the break.
Injury victims Alex Tettey (calf) and Josh Muphy (toe) were replaced by Harrison Reed and Yanic Wildschut respectively, with the fit-again Mario Vrancic also replacing Wes Hoolahan.
With a lengthy injury list the bench included academy midfielder Todd Cantwell for the first time, with Oliveira and Marco Stiepermann also fit enough to be among the substitutes.
Confidence was evidently high in the hosts’ early play, with James Maddison in the thick of the action, forcing Allan McGregor to punch clear a curling free-kick in the seventh minute and then slamming a low shot against the base of the post three minutes later.
Carrow Road was buzzing with City firmly on top, Vrancic playing Wildschut clean through in the 17th minute but the powerful Dutchman could only fire against the legs of the on-rushing McGregor.
Hull steadied though, with Kamil Grosicki hooking a shot goalwards after Michael Dawson headed a corner back into the box, only to see Angus Gunn hold his shot.
However, the visitors took the lead in the 29th minute after Nouha Dicko was played clean though by Markus Henriksen and calmly rolled past the charging Gunn from the edge of the box into the bottom-right corner.
All of a sudden the mood had changed and the Canaries looked nervous, with passes and crosses going astray and Vrancic playing an awful back-pass in injury-time which Gunn only just cleared under pressure from Dicko.
James Husband and Maddison against forced McGregor to parry shots in the early stages of the second half, before City were thrown a lifeline. Wildschut broke after a Tigers corner and was bundled over on halfway by Meyler, who had already been booked for one of his six fouls on Maddison and was shown a second yellow to reduce the visitors to 10 men.
Hoolahan was brought on for Reed and City huffed and puffed but struggled to force chances, with Hoolahan’s excellent play getting Klose through in the 71st minute, only for his flick to be headed off the line by Ola Aina.
Farke threw caution to the wind and made a double substitution, bringing on Oliveira and Marco Stiepermann for Tom Trybull and Husband, dropping Vrancic and Maddison deeper in a very attacking team.
Hull kept the hosts at arm’s length largely though as Hoolahan tried to unpick the lock, teeing up Maddison to shoot to the right of the six-yard box but the youngster could only pull a low shot wide of the far post.
Stiepermann chipped to Jerome at the near post in the 88th minute but the striker could only nod wide and soon after skipper Ivo Pinto did well to block Henriksen’s shot after a Jarrod Bowen counter with City caught out.
It looked like the unbeaten run had come to an end only for Carrow Road to erupt in the sixth minute of injury-time, Stiepermann’s long throw being headed on by Jerome and Oliveira flicking home from close range to spark wild celebrations.
It was the Portuguese striker’s fifth goal of the season and, with Ipswich beaten 1-0 at Sheffield United, the Canaries moved up to eighth in the table and a point above their arch rivals ahead of next Sunday’s derby at Portman Road.
Norwich (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Pinto (C), Klose, Zimmermann, Husband (Stiepermann 74); Reed (Hoolahan 67), Trybull (Oliveira 74); Vrancic, Maddison, Wildschut; Jerome. Unused subs: McGovern (GK), Hanley, Franke, Cantwell.
Booked: Wildschut (foul on Henriksen, 45+1)
Goal: Oliveira (90+6)
Hull City (4-2-3-1): McGregor; Aina, Dawson (C), Hector, Clark; Larsson (Tomori 84), Meyler; Bowen, Henriksen, Grosicki (Diomande 72); Dicko (Stewart 62). Unused subs: Marshall (GK), Mazuch, Weir, Toral
Booked: Meyler (foul on Maddison, 24), Larsson (dissent, 57), Stewart (foul on Wildschut, 74)
Sent off: Meyler (foul on Wildschut, second yellow, 57)
Goal: Dicko (29)
Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)
Attendance: 25,666
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